Harvest Moon: Swordcraft Story
by Chicken Yuki
Summary: After going away to learn the ways fo the Craftknight, swordsman Mitchel Blaze returns to his beloved Mineral Town, only to find it engulfed it darkness. Somehow, all the batchelorettes remain, but they've all seemed to have lost their minds. BASH WARNING
1. Part 1

_**Disclaimer:** I don't own the rights to Harvest Moon. Just, quit asking okay? And, well… maybe I should hire Rock to do these monotonous disclaimers. He makes it more amusing with his buffoonery._

_Rock: What was that?_

_Chicken Yuki: Wanna be my future Disclaimer Jocky?_

_Rock: How much does it pay?_

_Chicken Yuki: Nothing… but you get to talk to the lady readerse in this community._

_Rock: Deal._

_Chicken Yuki: But no destroying the place with your "Deadly Rave" dance skills, or claiming to be the villain of a story, ESPECIALLY when you're not in it, got it?_

_Rock: …._

Somewhere out at sea, with the sun shining brightly, two characters were out traveling by boat.

One was a balding middle-aged man with dark eyes, a dark blue military cap with a golden wing pattern and black rim, a navy blue shirt with blue uniformly pants, and bright silver shoulder pads with a pair of iron-toed boots.

The other was a young man with short, raven-black hair and deep sapphire eyes. He wore a light blue jean jacket over a red cowboy shirt, and a pair of light blue jeans. Around his neck was a handkerchief with a flame pattern on it. In his left hand, he grasped a very ornate sword with oriental characters inscribed that glowed with a burning crimson hue.

"That's a mighty fine blade, you got there, son!" The older man grinned.

"Made it myself, actually! I happen to be a Craftknight, don't you know!" the young swordsman answered proudly.

"Oh, a Craftknight, eh? Yeah, I heard about them fighting blacksmiths. So, you must be a Lyndbaumian?" the man inquired.

The young Craftknight shook his head. "Nah, I sorta just went up and moved to the continent since it was the only place known for this kind of thing. But I spent many days and nights training in Neo Wystern. Really nice place, but I guess that's what's to expected for the capital."

"Really, now? I heard Neo Wystern's supposed to be a busy place full of fun and adventure, considering all the warriors running about it." The older man said with certain excitement.

The young swordsman nodded as he recalled fond moments. "Yup. Beating the tar out of cocky upstarts, meeting beautiful older girls, and gathering materials for the finest weapons. Neo Wystern is great!" he cried.

He then gazed off into the distance.

"Of course, when you've been away from a place that's been like home to you for what seems like forever, you to have feelings of yearning… so I'm really looking forward to going back to good old Mineral Town to show the folks I've accomplished my dream." He said fondly.

"A home to look forward too… I understand the feeling. Got a place I call home myself in the port town of Shadaloo. It's a reasonably exalted place, but it's peaceful enough." The old sailor responded.

Suddenly, the usual shining sun became envolved by darkness, as black clouds began covering the skies.

"That's odd… those clouds seem to be coming from up ahead… where Mineral Town is. And there doesn't seem to be rain going on…" the swordsman noted.

Indeed, as they came closer to their destination, a dark fog became increasingly apparent.

"Wh-what is this? It's like the darkness is taking over…" the Craftknight said with a quiver.

"Indeed. I would normally not be bothered by these conditions as night, living the life of a sailor and all, but this is certainly cause for concern in the middle of the day. What sort of sorcery could be causing this?" the old man asked.

The concerned Craftknight squinted his eyes towards the fog before him and felt a chill run down his spine.

"It's… it's evil…" the swordsman growled.

The sailor looked at his companion curiously. "Serious? You believe it be a demon that caused this nightmare?" he asked.

The Craftknight nodded with utter confidence. "There's no mistake. Something sinister is afoot, and it's trying to take Mineral Town as its own."

Although dubious at first, the Sailor gave him an understanding look. "Alright. I guess we better step on it if we want to help your precious town, Mr. Craftknight. And who knows? Maybe a warrior such as yourself can make a name aiding this cursed town?"

"Perhaps…" the Craftknight said solemnly.

He then adjusted the motor at full speed as to waste as little time as possible.

"By the way, little Hero. What is the name of Mineral Town's would-be savior, anyway?"

The Craftknight closed his eyes and took a deep breath before identifying myself.

"I am Mitchel Blaze, and I've just been appointed as the Craftlord of Iron…"


	2. Part 2

**Harvest Moon:**

**Swordcraft Story**

Minutes later, the boat cut through the dark fog to land at Mineral Town's port. The atmosphere felt even more eerie when the pair of travelers sensed little activity around.

Mitchel sighed. "Well, it makes sense that the Snack Shack is closed. It isn't summer, so Kai shouldn't even be around, but… I have a feeling that no one's even tending the Beach House…." He said.

"Aye, you be right. This place feels even more off when you're up close. Something's definitely afoot…" the sailor said cautiously.

Mitchel grinned. "Normally, a Won-less Beach House would be a good thing, but… well, this place isn't exactly screaming paradise." He quipped.

The curious Craftknight decided to check out the Beach House to confirm his suspicions.

He was right. There was nobody there. Oddly enough, there was no sign of anyone being around for ages.

Mitchel shook his head. "This is bad…" he uttered aloud.

After closing the door, Mitchel looked straight into the abyss that lead towards Mineral Town while thinking long and hard about his next course of action. Once he reached a conclusion, he shook his head in disgust, but knew what must be done.

"Alright, fine. I'm going on ahead." Mitchel decided. "I thought I could enjoy myself in this personal reunion, but you were right earlier. Looks like I'll have to perform my duties as a Craftknight…."

The sailor nodded. "Understood. But I have confidence in you, boy. There's this uncanny audacity that I sense about you. And hey, if you managed to obtain a title as prestigious as the Craftlord of Iron, it must say a lot about you!"

Mitchel shook his head. "Yeah, that's one heck of an impressive title, but if there was anything my experience in Neo Wystern taught me, it's that fancy titles don't necessarily make you invincible…"

"Well, at least you ain't cocky!" the sailor cried heartily.

Mitchel chuckled in response with a nod.

"Anyway, I think I'm gonna stick around for a while. Might as well offer you a chance to escape if things get rough." The sailor offered.

"Thank you, Captain." Mitchel replied. "But I'm going to try hard to see this through the end."

The sailor nodded. "Good. Then I'll stick around to see you in your hour of triumph." He corrected himself.

Mitchel nodded with a grateful smile on his face before finally heading deep into the distorted recesses of Mineral Town. "Good bye, Captain."

"Later, Sir Craftknight." The sailor said with a solute.

Out of grave concern, Mitchel sprinted off towards the Pullet Family Poultry farm. On the way, the dark clouds enveloping the atmosphere made Mineral Town appear to be a realm of isolated twilight.

"Man, I don't know what's going on here, but the town is too quiet. The chances might be slim, but I'm hoping the Pullet Family is okay. I've been meaning to see Popuri first, but… maybe I might not get that chance. Still…."

Mitchel increased his efforts. Shortly after, he made it to his destination. The Poultry farm seemed as quiet as every other house, until he heard a familiar wail.

"Popuri!" he cried in panic.

The desperate Craftknight rushed inside the main home in order to take care of whatever danger that awaited him; however, what he saw inside wasn't something he wasn't prepared for…

The pink-haired maiden was indeed inside, but instead of being attacked by an unimaginable horror, she was running around like a crazed child, throwing a violent temper tantrum.

"Popuri?" Mitchel said with a quivering voice. "What the heck are---"

His voice is interrupted by a piece of fine china whizzing right by his face and crashing outside the door.

Mitchel could merely stare in confusion as Popuri violently banged on the walls and furniture while continuing the cry and scream seemingly no apparent reason.

"Uh… Popuri?" Mitchel said meekly while he raised his free hand in the air.

"UWAAAAH!!!! I… WANT…. CHOCOLATE!!!! GIVE ME CHOCOLATE!!! GIVE IT TO ME NOOOOOOOOOOWWWW!!!!!" she wailed.

Mitchel blinked in amazement. "Chocolate?" he quietly repeated to himself.

Despite the quiet tone, the petulant child-like Popuri slowly turned towards the door with a curious expression. After rubbing her ruby eyes and blinking wildly, the pink-haired girl gazed right in the eyes of the freaked out Craftknight.

"Uh… hello?" Mitchel cried out nervously with a friendly wave.

"YOU!" Popuri shouted as she pointed a finger.

Mitchel nodded as he slowly approached his old friend.

"You will get me chocolate!" Popuri demanded.

"… er, okay, sure… but do you even recognize me?" Mitchel asked curiously.

"You're the boy that will get me chocolate!" Popuri cried out with a twisted grin.

Mitchel paused for a minute. "Okay, I'll take that as a no…"

He then tried to get even closer, but took extra caution as to not provoke Popuri's unusual mentality.

"I don't know what's going on with Mommy or Brother Rick, so YOU'LL get me my chocolate!" she demanded viciously.

Mitchel shook his head. "You honestly don't remember me? It hasn't been THAT long, you know…" he said with a groan.

Popuri tried to think back for a minute, but she shook her head vigorously. "No! Chocolate, now!" Popuri whined while holding out a hand.

Mitchel sighed. He remembered when he first met this girl that he considered his comrade in chicken appreciation. He recalled her previous child-like nature, but came across a few occasions where her hidden maturity was exposed. She was someone he had respect more, maybe even someone he was on the verge of developing feelings for. However, the girl standing before him was a sad parody of her usual self.

The Craftknight gazed at the whiny chicken girl with somber eyes. He then stroked her hair gently.

"H-hey! K-knock it out! I SAID I WANTED CHOCOLATE!!! NOT CREEPINESS!" she cried in a panic.

He then followed it up with a gentle peck on the forehead. Popuri responded with bright red cheeks and a shaky body.

"W-WHAT WAS THAT?! T-THAT'S NOT CHOCOLATE!!!" she yelled with a quiver in her voice.

After removing his head, Mitchel turned his back. "Don't worry. You'll get your chocolate soon enough, when I find out what's going on around here." He promised.

"N-no… I want it… now…" she said in a dwindling tone.

Curiously, Mitchel turned his head to see the pink-haired lady kneeling hopelessly on the floor. At that time, he saw a sudden twinkle in her eyes that reminded him of her formal self, but it did not last.

The deranged girl let out one last wail before the Craftknight finally left.

"Well, Popuri is still around, thank goodness, but she's a bit… screwy in the head now. This isn't boding too well, so far…" he said to himself.

The disturbed Craftknight wandered around the town of twilight aimlessly.

He soon came across the Ranch he passed by earlier. He inspected the area for a minute, but like the Beach House, saw nothing. Not even cows or sheep.

"…Old Man Barley and Little May are nowhere to be found…" Mitchel uttered in disappointment.

After abandoning the Ranch, Mitchel decided to pay a visit to the town's Inn, which was essentially an ideal meeting place.

"Maybe everybody else hid out there. It's spacious enough to hold the townsfolk/  
Mitchel thought.

He was about to look forward to his newfound hope until an ugly memory reared its ugly head.

"…right, that place is where SHE happens to work. Gah, I suppose it's necessary to tolerate her if I'm going to help save this town." He said with a groan.

Soon enough, Mitchel arrived at the huge structure that he recognized as the end. Unfortunately, there was little outside noise that merited busy chatting.

"Maybe… they're all too nervous to make noise?" Mitchel assumed.

Slowly, Mitchel turned the doorknob and gulped.

"How am I supposed to react if it's Ann that I first see? Oh crud…. Well, if she happens to be standing by, maybe she can explain to me why Popuri's acting nutso. They ARE friends, after all." He thought to himself.

Finally, after pushing the door forward, Mitchel discovered the Inn to be surprisingly empty…. Save for a big mess laid out on the floor.

"What happened here? It looks like a storm hit this place from the inside." Mitchel said in disgust.

Before he could continue searching the place, Mitchel sensed something coming at him. In a split second, he managed to dodge a bottle that was flung towards his vicinity.

"STUPID MEN!!!!" a violent voice roared from the back room.

Mitchel lowered his head. "…oh hell…"

The young Craftknight wasn't sure whether to stay put and inquire for info at that point, or to leave to preserve his sanity. Apparently, he ended up dealing with the former.

Shortly after the scream, a familiar red-haired girl with blue suspenders stomped into Mitchel's prescience. Her eyes were bloodshot and her teeth were displayed viciously.

"YOU!!!!!!!!" the violent red-head cried.

"Apparently, it had to be "Ann the psycho" that recognized me." Mitchel groaned.

"LOWLY MANBOY! HOW DARE YOU DEFILE THIS INN?!" she shouted.

"Lowly… man-boy… I see you haven't skimped on your insult training." Mitchel replied.

"WHAT? PATHETIC MANBOY, YOU MUST BE DILUSIONAL! WHY WOULD I BOTHER MEETING SOMEONE AS STUPID AS YOU MORE THAN ONCE?!" she shouted.

Mitchel turned his head to the side. "I sometimes wonder the same thing…" he said to the side.

"HEY! DON'T YOU SPEAK CRAP ABOUT ME, MANBOY!!! I KNOW YOU JUST DISSED MY SUPPERIOR, SPUNKY ANN-NESS!" Ann shouted.

"Do you want me to hurt you?" Mitchel threatened coolly.

Ann responded with an amused, albeit manically disturbing laugh. She then reached for a nearby half-broken battle, which she tried to strike Mitchel in the head with, but she missed utterly and broke it onto the wall behind him.

"AS IF SOME INFERIOR MANBOY COULD HARM ME!!! I AM ANN, AND I SUPPERIOR YOUR UNWORTHY KIND!!!" she cried loudly after laughing manically once more.

"Uh… you just missed." Mitchel retorted.

Ann responded with a furious fist, which Mitchel dodged expertly.

"BITE ME!" Ann shouted. "AND GET OUTTA HERE, STUPID MANBOY!!! CAN'T YOU SEE I MUST CLEAN THIS FILTHY PLACE? FWEH! DON'T DENY THAT THIS MESS IS THE FAULT OF YOU AND EVERY OTHER MAN IN EXISTANCE?!?!?! AAAHHHHHHHH!!!"

Frustrated that she couldn't land her first blow, Ann continued her frenzied assault on the Craftknight. For reasons only he felt, Mitchel refused to draw his sword and retaliate, but this left him in the mercy of Ann's furious fits.

"GET OUT! GET OUT! GET OUT! GET OUT! GET OOUUUUUUUTTTT!"

Ann continued shouting those words in a chant while she threw out punch after punch. At the same time, Mitchel continued to dodge each blow and maneuver himself towards the exit. Eventually, the cautious Craftknight reached for the door and got out swiftly. He then slammed the door right as Ann sent a haymaker punch right at Mitchel's gut. Again, the attack missed, but it went straight through the door with a mighty crack.

"GYEAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!!! YOU'LL PAY FOR THIS, MANBOY!!!" Ann shouted at the top of her lungs.

And so, Mitchel fled the Inn while shaking his head in disgust.

"I see Ann hasn't changed much." He said half-seriously.

After taking a few paces, he stopped himself for a moment.

"Okay, fine. So Ann wasn't exactly that crazy, either. So far, the only people present have gone mad to some extent. But… this can't have affected everyone. There has to be some sane people left in the Town…" Mitchel said to himself.

The Craftknight next encountered Aja's Winery, which also proved to be suspiciously empty. After that, he noticed the home of reputed botanist Basil and the library next door.

Again, Mitchel found the house to be unlocked and empty, so he decided to check the nearby library.

"There's still a chance Mary sheltered herself in her. She rarely leaves this place, anyway." Said to himself

He slowly opened the door, so as not to create a fuss.

"Mary was always the meek and logical one. Maybe she knows what's going on" he thought.

Once the door was completely open, Mitchel quietly walked in. Right at the corner, he saw the spectacled girl with braided black hair, reading one of her many books as usual.

Mitchel let out a sigh of relief.

"Good old reliable Mary." He said aloud in gratitude.

"Wh-what? W-who's there?!" Mary said in a panic.

"Relax! It's me, Mitchel! I just came back from Lyndbaum to tell the good news that I'm a Craftknight, and---"

"I DON'T KNOW ANYONE BY THAT NAME! STAY AWAY FROM ME!" she cried in paranoia.

"Ah… Mary?"

At this time, the usual projectile is thrown in his direction, and with the new location being a library, it was a book that flew towards him instead.

"Hey, Mary. What's wrong? I know it's a little scary out there, but you can relax. I'm here to help." He said in a calmer voice.

"LIAR!" Mary cried. "YOU CAN'T HELP ME! YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW I FEEL AT ALL! NO ONE DOES!"

Mitchel gulped again. "..."Emo Mary"? he thought himself . "Hey, that actually sounds like a fitting name for a super heroine…"

The concerned Craftknight observed the nervous wreck of a librarian as best as he could. Luckily, she hasn't harmed herself in any way.

"This doesn't have anything to do with angsting over Gray, does it? I still think the guy actually loves you back…" Mitchel randomly threw out.

Again, Mitchel avoided another book.

"NO! GRAY HATES ME!!! EVERYONE HATES ME!!! I'M ALWAYS ALONE BECAUSE I'M UGLY AND UNINTERESTING!!!" she gripped.

"I would really have to disagree with the later" Mitchel thought to himself.

He then let out a hardy laugh. "Ugly? You've gotta be kidding me! You're actually rather cute in your own way! Heck, I remember it just yesterday when---"

Mitchel immediately silenced himself when he was lost in thought. Especially with a particular memory when he got to see Mary try out her mother's clothes….

Butt apparently, his distraction was shut off when Mary started chucking books like a Librarian Cannon.

"LIAR! LEAVE ME ALONE!" Mary shouted while continuing her assault.

Conceding to defeat, Mitchel responded with a polite bow before making his retreat.

"Interesting. It seems that only the batchelorettes are still around. Unfortunately, most of them have completely lost it." Mitchel reviewed. "I should just head straight for the last two girls to check up on them. Obviously, isn't any activity going on with the other housing."

Still, the experience from his last three encounters bothered him.

"If Karen and Elli are still around, then… they might be affected also! Ah, but… I can't leave them alone! There's a chance to save them from this madness… maybe…" he said hopefully.

Mitchel passed more residential housing and headed straight for the Super Market.

"Alright, if there's anyone in this town who has the kind of strong will to retain her sanity against this horrible curse, it's gotta me my childhood friend, Karen! She takes no crap from anyone without the downside of being a pain like Ann, so there's still hope for her!" he cried.

Mitchel wasted no time in barging into the Supermarket. No one was tending the Store out front, but someone at back seemed to notice.

"Oh, is that company I heard? Come on in, darling. It's been a tad boring as of late." A haughty voice called.

"Darling? Since when did Karen say that?" Mitchel asked himself.

Mitchel simply let it go with a shrug as he went ahead past the Market room and into the living quarters.

It was here where the young Craftknight saw Karen, although she was barely recognizable in her current state.

While her usual flowing blonde hair and exceptionally beautiful face remained pretty much the same, everything else was radically different from the fun-loving tomboy Mitchel was used to meeting.

Instead, this Karen was particularly ornate. She had on a pair of shiny amethyst earrings, and had a touch of violet lipstick. She also wore a haughty, strapless, violet dress with her back partially exposed, along with a pair of fancy violet high-heels. Finally, her arms and neck were lavishly adorned with the shiniest platinum bracelets and necklaces to ever exist.

This same Karen happened to be gazing at herself in a mirror, looking rather smug with the image.

"Hm… I guess there really is no point as to ask this mirror who the fairest of them all is. I already have my answer." She said to herself.

"Excuse me… er, Karen?" Mitchel asked hesitantly asked.

The lavish vanity queen calmly turned around to meet her old friend.

"Ah, yes. My guest. How excellent. No doubt you came in search of this hick town just seek out my legendary beauty, yes?" Karen said.

Mitchel's jaw seemed to unhinge when he heard this.

"Wh-what?!"

Karen nodded in satisfaction.

"Indeed. It seems that my amazing charisma has stunned yet another witness. It's not much of a surprise, though. I am ME, after all." She said.

"N-no! Karen! What the heck? This isn't even REMOTELY close to you! I'm surprised you haven't dipped into your wine stash and drink the day away to escape from the impending apocalypse that's going on outside!" he yelled in a panic.

"Huh… wine?" Karen uttered curiously.

She then averted her eyes away from Mitchel and towards a full glass of her favorite drink. She then took it carefully and brought it at her side with a smile.

" I see… so you're one to indulge in every way?" she asked in amusement. "Very well, then. Pour yourself a glass so that we may proclaim a toast to my success."

Mitchel still glared at her in disbelief. "ME indulge? Didn't I just get through the whole thing about you drinking through the apocalypse?!"

Karen simply laughed off Mitchel's reasoning. "Surely, you must me kidding. With everything I have going for me, why ruin it with some careless wine binging? Ugh…. Such barbarism is so… uncouth." She scoffed.

"…okay, this is too weird fore me. If this girl doesn't go absolutely Gung-Ho with her wine, then she can't be Karen. I don't even know what to call her anymore." Michel thought to herself.

The confused Craftknight continued to watch in confusion as this brand new Karen merely sipped a small portion of her treasured wine, instead of pouring down her throat like usual. Being growing boy, he did take some notice as to how considerably attractive she became, but he was far too weirded out by her smug demeanor to be completely taken in. Besides, he happened to have something against narcissists.

"So then, shall we toast?" Karen requested.

Mitchel shrugged. "Whatever. At least she isn't as unstable as the other girls." He thought to himself.

He decided to follow through by pouring himself a glass, and holding it high up.

"Here's to my goddess-like beauty and angelic singing voice." Karen proclaimed arrogantly.

"Uh, yeah, sure… whatever." Mitchel uttered unenthusiastically.

The two clicked glasses before having their fill of wine. With their mini ceremony finished, Mitchel felt it was an appropriate time to bolt.

"Eh… sorry I can't stick around for long. I… have a doctor's appointment to make." Mitchel excused.

"Really now? That sounds like a fine idea, actually. One should make special care of their health to ensure their beauty." Karen grinned.

Mitchel felt himself shivering from the creepiness he's been dealt.

"…Okay, yeah. I can't take "the Queen of Beauty" version Karen much longer. Must leave…" Mitchel thought.

Before he could make his escape, Karen took the Craftknight close into her clutches.

"You know, I must've lost my mind hanging around that helpless dweeb of a formal friend of mine. Can you believe that I almost actually fell in love with him? But… in your case, I approve. Perhaps we can have some fun later on?" she asked in a seductive voice.

"DOCTOR'S APOINTMENT!" Mitchel reminded furiously.

"Right, right. Better take care of that, darling. But I can wait…" she said hopefully.

After that exchange, Mitchel marched off, with a red face mixed with embarrassment and anger.

The poor craftknight was clutching his chest with his back slightly hunched forward as he walked towards the nurse's office.

"…..why? Why did she have to be that way? Gah… all that sexiness with all that vanity… it's a twisted combination, yet it really screws up Karen. Not that she's my girl of choice to begin with or anything, but we did to have a lot fun together before…" he groaned.

Next, he decided to keep his word of making a doctor's appointment by visiting the local Clink.

"I don't know what to expect for this next one. Elli's… Elli. She's really nice and stuff, and she likes helping out everything. The only possibility I can see to her mind being warped if she becomes "Uber-Bland Elli". Ah… she's too for her own good sometimes. I'm too afraid to find out, but… she's the only one left, and she could know some very important information that the others were too preoccupied to give me…" Mitchel speculated.

So Mitchel took the imitative of entering the Clinic unannounced. Once inside, he saw the brown-haired nurse with her back turned, wearing what appeared to be black garments.

"Come on in." Elli uttered solemnly.

Mitchel stood in place to asses the situation for a moment.

"…so… am I dealing with some sort of depressed gothic Elli this time?" Mitchel asked. "Somehow, I have a feeling that was done before, but I'll disregard that thought for now…"

Mitchel then proceeded to approach the seemingly melancholy nurse.

"I'm sorry to say this, but the doctor isn't in right now. Did you happen to have an appointment scheduled with him?" Elli asked in her equally quelled voice.

"Uh, no… I'm sorry. Actually, I'm here to see you…" Mitchel answered hesitantly.

Considering all of his previous experiences, he figured that Elli would not recognize him either.

"Is that so?" Elli said in a more emotional, albeit particularly amused voice.

Once Mitchel got close to the mentally alerted nurse, he took quick notice that her clothes didn't quite shape the gothic look. In fact, there was a bit of a regal air about her.

"This must be a special occasion. I'm rarely called to perform on my own… unless, perhaps people are finally starting to recognize my talents?" she continued with venom in her speech.

"Uh… yeah, sure! I, uh… I've always heard what a talented nurse you are! Perhaps you can help me out with this problem I have!" Mitchel quickly improvised.

"Well, I must admit, I'm very… touched in your confidence in my ability; however, I'm afraid I'll have to turn you down personally. You see, I happen to have a personal project of my own to consider." Elli answered cryptically.

"Ah… well, I'm actually just curious about something. I don't need a procedure or anything!" Mitchel assured her.

Elli nodded. "Alright. I suppose you're interested in seeing what my little project is, yes?"

Mitchel hesitated to answer. He wasn't even sure if he was ready to find out, especially with Elli's current disposition in control.

"Oh, you mustn't worry. I'm more than happy to share." Elli continued pleasantly.

Suddenly, Elli turned around and swung a big scythe midway towards Mitchel's direction, only to halt herself and prop up her intimidating weapon with relative ease.

This time, Mitchel was shocked beyond words.

The kind nurse Elli, whose only characters that usually stood out to others was her complete optimism and her eternal willingness to help, was wearing a sinister grin on her face… along with a black Chinese dress and elbow-length gloves.

This villainous nurse started to hug her "toy's' handle while caressing the shiny blade lovingly.

"Such a magnificent work of craftsmanship…" she said with total adoration.

Mitchel was still struggling to say anything. His body merely shook at this peculiar sight.

"Yes… anyone who dares try to cause me misery and shall be dealt a swift, bloody, picturesque death…" she uttered as she swooned.

"E-ELLI!!!" Mitchel managed to blurt out.

"Hm?"

The sadistic nurse turned her head slightly, but instead of seeing the face of her visitor, her eyes remained focused on his flaming sword.

"Curious craftsmanship you have there…" Elli said in fascination.

Mitchel nodded.

"Er… yes, I actually made it myself. I found a few interesting materials from Lyndbaum and turned it into this beauty." He said with some pride in his work.

"Is that so? I must say… I've rarely seen a sword of that particular caliber." Elli confessed. "You must know your sword inside and out. Perhaps you would like to test it?" she proposed as she grasped her scythe with two both hands.

"er… hold on! This that scythe of yours newly-sharpened?" Mitchel asked.

Elli started at Mitchel blankly for a moment. She then felt the blade of her scythe with gentle care.

"Yes it is. I just happened to finish sharpening it only mere moments before you arrived." Elli confessed.

"Right… it probably wouldn't' be a good idea, then. Seriously, that blade should be tested before applying it in combat. And besides, it would be an even bigger mistake to use an unchecked weapon against an enchanted sword like mine. It could leave to permanent damage." He warned her.

Elli nodded in agreement. "True… it would be a really big shame to have my precious toy carelessly destroyed in such a way…"

"Oh! Good! So then you understand!" Mitchel cried in joy.

"Indeed…" Elli grinned. "It would be more productive if I was to test this out on flesh more… helpless."

"Uh...n-no… that's not what I meant." Mitchel protested.

"And I think that wretched Farm Girl would be the perfect test, too…"

"Wait, back up. Farm Girl?" Mitchel asked.

"Yes… there was this farmer who moved some time ago. Somehow, most of the guys in this town were naturally drawn to her… even my Doctor…" Elli explained with violent intent in her eyes.

"Well, this is news to me!" Mitchel exclaimed.

"Indeed, stranger. I can't believe a wretch such her would ever dare be so shameless as to steal my beloved right under my nose." She said with hatred.

Mitchel realized he was incurring Elli's wrath in some form, but at least he now had some knowledge that may solve everything.

"So, my fellow bearer of blades. Will you join me in the slaughter?" she asked in a pleasant tone.

Mitchel slowly shook his head. "I… have more important business to attend." He replied.

"Mmm… what a shame." Elli said with a moment. "There's just so much beautiful blood to spill."

Mitchel nearly turned white upon hearing this. "Uh, yeah… t-too bad I'll miss out on the fun…" he answered reluctantly.

"Oh… don't feel too sad about it. I'm sure you'll be treated to the remaining carnage if you hurry fast enough. " she said to console the young Craftknight.

"…y-yeah… I'll take my leave now, if you mind." Mitchel said. He politely bowed his head a brief moment before taking off again.

Even in her bloodthirsty state, Elli managed a sweet smile and wave goodbye as Mitchel left.

"Goodbye then… " Elli cried before embracing her scythe again.

Outside, Mitchel was on the run, but this time he headed south, towards Mineral Town's old farm, the one place that he hopes will finally provide a solution to all this madness.

"A new farmer girl, eh? Not exactly sure what this is about, but I have a feeling everything will makes sense once I reach her. Of course, who's not to say that she's been affected by the maddening fog as well." Mitchel speculated. "Whatever the case may be, I might as well warn her that a homicidal Elli is after her head."

Further and further Mitchel ran south, but the deeper he went, the thicker the fog became. Even more disturbing was that the aura of evil within the town increased dramatically as he came closer to the farm.

Mitchel grit his teeth as he feared the worst was yet to come…


	3. Part 3

_Disclaimer's Notes: A few things in this Chapter will refer to a "Sting" developed game called Yggdra Union. I will say no further at the risk of making spoilers..._

* * *

Mitchel kept his brisk pacing all the way until he arrived to the formerly abandoned farm.

Once there, he quickly discovered that the fog was far too overwhelming for him to see the entire farmland clearly.

"Okay, this sucks. At least I still remember the layout of this place on my last visit. I believe the barn was left of here, and the old home was right. There's a chance she might be tending the animals despite all of this fog. Okay, left!!"

Mitchel rushed off again towards the left, where he recalled the barn was located. After he made out the barn well, he carefully searched it until he found the doors. He took a few steps towards the entrance until a feeling of dread froze him.

"This evil intent feels so close… it must be attracted to this specific area for some reason… but why? Does it want to use the new farmer in some way? Or could it be---"

Mitchel pushed the door open. Inside, there was a suspicious lack of barn animals. However, in one of the stables, curled up into a ball, was a blonde young woman with aquamarine eyes. She wore jean suspenders over a checkered red shirt.

"….O-outside…. Th-the outside…. S-s-scary…" she shivered in a panic.

"Hey!" Mitchel cried out.

The frightened girl lifted her head slightly to see her new visitor, only to hide it again.

"..G-GO AWAY!... y-you….y-you came from the outside…." She uttered.

"No! I'm fine!" Mitchel cried. "I'm here to help out! Honest!"

The young girl slowly lifted her head again.

"Y-you… you're not from around here…" she said quietly.

"Yeah, that's right. So, uh… can you tell me what's going on around here?" Mitchel asked.

The girl shook violently. "…h-horrible… th-the villagers….. the crazed girls… i-it's…"

"It's what?! Do you know what's causing this?" Mitchel demanded.

The panicked girl suddenly broke out into tears. "N-N-NO!!! THEY'RE OUT TO GET ME!!!"

The curious Craftknight slowly made his way to the frightened girl.

"Who?" he asked again in softer voice.

"….t-they're trying to get at me…. for being with the guys…. For interfering with their lives… but I swear... ah… I d-didn't…"

The frightened blonde became silent as she stared off into space in a nightmarish daze.

Mitchel thought to himself. "She must've tried to confront the girls in their altered states. I suppose she was good friends with all of them, and she's confused their frenzied actions with jealousy. I'm not sure I can say the same for Elli, though…"

Again, the young Craftknight approached ever closer.

"Don't worry. You don't have to worry anymore" Mitchel said.

But the girl turned away.

"Trust me. You'll be fine. I'm here to help you." He assured her.

Somehow, this got her attention. The young girl slowly turned around.

Mitchel nodded. "Let's get you out of this place until we can return it to normal, okay?" he offered.

The frightened girl slowly stretched out an arm.

"Good. Now let's find you somewhere safe to stay." Mitchel said.

He then reached out his right hand to take hers, but right before he made contact, a surge of malevolent energy flowed into his consciousness.

"Wh-what?!" Mitchel thought.

Instinctively, the young Craftknight leapt back and stared at the young girl while pointing his sword at her.

"YOU!" he shouted.

"Wh…what are you doing?" the young girl cried. "I-I thought you said you'd help me…"

"I was wondering why this area simply reeked of evil! I thought the source was hidding out, but I guess it's been right under my nose all this time!" he growled.

The whimpering girl covered her head an wept hard.

"Wh-why?! Why are you doing this? N-no! N-not again!" she cried. "You said you'd help me!"

"I never made any promises…" Mitchel uttered in a low voice.

The helpless girl could only whimper as the Craftknight approached with his burning blade drawn.

"…n-not again… n-n-not again… n-not again… NO!" the girl cried.

"Stop it! Do away with your disguise, wretch!" Mitchel shouted furiously.

But she was still huddled up in sheer terror. Her eyes were moist with tears.

"Fine… if you want to make this easy on me, then I'll be happy to oblige." Mitchel scoffed.

The vengeful Craftknight held out his sword right above him his head for a decisive blow.

"Be gone…" Mitchel uttered in a cruel voice.

He then struck down at full force with his burning weapon.

For a moment, the blackened air echoed with the piercing scream of the frightened girl…

...however, when the blade finally made contact, it connected instead with a shining golden blade.

"…I see… you will not be swayed so easily…" the girl uttered in a cool voice.

The formerly frightened girl pushed away Mitchel's sword with one strike, then leapt back with her own blade ready.

"Cut the crap already! WHO ARE YOU?!" Mitchel demanded.

The mysterious girl chuckled to herself in amusement.

"I see… I suppose it would be a waste to carry on this "innocent farm girl" disguise.." she said to herself.

She then snapped her finger.

Her old farm attire was immediately replaced with white robes partially covered by a black cloak.

"Allow me to offer a more proper introduction. My name is Corena Clarine Artwaltz, the Witch Princess of the West." She announced.

"And I'm Mitchel Blaze, the newly appointed Craftlord of Iron!" Mitchel exchanged.

The young girl laughed in further amusement. "A whelp like you, a new Craftlord? Lyndbaum must be desperate in this current age to allow a pathetic joke like this." She mocked.

"Don't you dare insult my teachings!" Mitchel shouted.

Corena shook her head. "That is of little importance to me. What matters to me right now is that I wipe you off the face of this world for good."

The confident Witch Princess remained upright with golden sword in hand, while Mitchel stood by, trembling with rage.

"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO EVERYONE?!" Mitchel demanded.

"Hmm…. Good question." Corena mused. "After befriending the mortals of this town, I simply put a powerful dark curse on its place and let nature take its course. Dark energies seem to have different affects on people. I suppose these energies deemed most of these beings unworthy of existence along with that know-it-all Harvest Goddess. The rest were simply left to be played with at the Dark Energies' mercy."

Mitchel trembled. "So that's why…" he thought to himself.

"Well, I'm sure you already know what happened to all the girls, but as for all my boy toys that remained?" Corena teased.

She then clapped her hands to bring more light into the barn, and pointed to Mitchel's left.

The craftknight gazed in horror as he saw Cliff, Gray, Rick, Doctor Trent, and even Kai petrified in statues.

"They make nice decorations, don't you think?" Corena smirked.

Mitchel growled bitterly at Corena's amusement.

"YOU'LL PAY FOR THIS!!!!" he threatened madly.

"I think not!" Corena replied. "I have so much going for me around here. There's no way that I will just let you come and banish me from this precious land."

"What are you talking about?" Mitchel aksed.

"This very place… your beloved Mineral Town… happens to be a focal point of strong emotions… the kind that kind endows me with great power… the kind that nourishes THIS…" Corena said while proudly displaying her golden sword.

"Wh-what is that?" Mitchel uttered quietly.

His eyes widened in shock as he felt pure malice pouring into it.

An ominous orchestra filled the barn as the Witch Princess stroked her shining sword.

"…The Gran Centurio… a "sacred" blade crafted in the hands of a fallen angel long ago… its power was said to crush entire kingdoms in its time. The source of its power is quite interesting, actually." She explained.

She then gave a wave of the sword, causing its malevolent aura to be visible.

"Malice, Strife, Pain and Suffering... so much empowers this magnificent blade. But I myself have also worked to offer it the fascinating power of Lust. I must say, it's done wonders…" Corena smirked.

The malevolent sword started to glow wildly, while Corena watched with glee.

"Do you know, Sir Craftknight, of the "observers" of this world?" Corena asked.

"What? Do you speak of gods?" Mitchel asked.

Corena shook her head. "Not exactly… but they seem to hold enough influence over this place to affect everything around us. It is their wishes that move this world, and I have discovered that it is here that these wishes are concentrated. And do you know why? It is because these wishes yearn to touch the young men and women who themselves harbor yearnings of love…"

"So… your curse… was made for them…" Mitchel reasoned.

"And to think that my brilliant curse was empowered by these wishes! Resentment has twisted those girls into their pitiful states, while at the same time drained life and flesh from those former men! Yes… the hopes and dreams of these observers… and their undying lust… such MAGNIFICENT power, don't you think?!"

A violent glint appeared in Corena's eyes. Her power was steadily increasing substantially as the golden sword overflowed with dark energy.

"AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!"

Thunder crashed as Corena's laughter echoed throughout Mineral Town.

"I don't care what you think influences this world! It won't affect the outcome of our battle! I'm going to defeat you, understand?" Mitchel proclaimed.

Cornea laughed upon hearing this. "I wouldn't count such things as trivial, Sir Craftknihgt. These dark desires have manifested me to use this power. What's not to say that you're a manifestation of some fantasy as well?"

"SHUT UP!"

In a flash, the two fighters clashed swords once more. Shortly after, Corena forced back Mitchel and went in for retaliation. The Craftknight was forced to block many strikes as Corena continually alternated the direction of her attack. Eventually, Mitchel found an opening and parried one of Corena's strikes, forcing her into the defensive. The Witch Princess was far from discouraged, though.

"So you happen to have decent fighting skills, Sir Craftknight. What makes you think you're a match for my magic?" Corena taunted.

"I won't let you have that chance!" Mitchel retorted as he went in on the offensive.

The Craftknight's assault proved to be more furious than Corena's previous attack, but the confident Witch Princess remained composed and countered each strike with ease. Sometime during Mitchel's string of swings, Corena got under wing strike and swiftly got behind her adversary, coming back with a ruthless counterstrike. But Mitchel read the attack and avoided accordingly.

The two combatants were forced to exchanged strikes once more, with neither gaining a truly overwhelming advantage over the other. Mitchel looked desperate and determined to win, while Corena retained her usual confident sneer.

"You lack true power!" Corena taunted.

Mitchel simply responded with a thrust to the face, which Corena easily blocked. She then raised her free hand and repelled him with a burst of magic.

"Come, Sir Craftknight. Are you confident enough to stand against me with the power of magic at my disposal?" Corena asked.

Mitchel grinned. "I think I'll manage by myself." He said with some confidence.

"Hm… by yourself? I'm pretty sure your Craftknights have a Guardian Beast to serve you…" Corena mentioned.

Mitchel started to rub his head with an embarrassed expression. "Actually, I left Arno with Lady Lynn and the folks back at Neo Wystern. But I believe I still have a few tricks to use!"

"If you say so. Frankly, you're just making this much easier for me." Corena taunted.

The entire barn soon darkened, allowing Corena to slip away. Mitchel tried to chase after her, but it was no use.

"Where is she?" Mitchel cried. "The evil aura's too well-spread out to sense her…"

While Mitchel looked around frantically to find his adversary, an ominous voice echoed around the barn.

"_O sorceress clad in the flames of hell…_

_Let thy fiery incantation bear its fangs—_

_Flame…"_

Mitchel suddenly heard rumbling from above. He looked up and saw a massive ball of fire. With this awareness of impending danger, Mitchel ran as fast as he could to escape its radius. After beginning its descent, the Craftknight resorted to diving out of the way. The great ball of fire exploded upon ground impact, leaving smoldering ash where it hit, but miraculously, the entire barn remained undamaged along with the fast-acting Mitchel.

"Hmm… that didn't work? Okay, fine. I have more spells to try out." Corena's omnipresent voice taunted.

Once again, her commanding voice filled the barn with chanting while Mitchel was still out in the open.

"_O Coffin of ice, sealing away anguish.._

_Invite death with thy bitter eulogy---_

_Blizzard…"_

This time, a howling wind roared within the barn, soon followed up with violent shards of ice piercing the air. Mitchel could do nothing as the shards tore through his jean jacket and straight into his flesh. A cry of pain soon rendered the air as well.

The sound of applause echoed through.

"I'm amazed. You actually lived through that one? Well, no worries. I still have so many spells left to use, but you know what? Since you're a special little Craftknight, how about I honor you with showing you the power of my "sacred sword"?" Corena's voice boomed.

Suddenly, a blinding light enveloped the barn for a brief moment. At the time, Mitchel had to shield his eyes from being affected.

"Alright, fine. I can't just look around aimlessly this time. This has to be my chacne." Mitchel thought.

"_Oh shepherd with early body and heavenly Soul…"_

This time, a single golden line shone from within the darkness.

"That's it!" Mitchel thought to himself as he positioned himself.

"_Strike down evil with holy l- ugh!"_

Corena's exposed body was dealt a harsh blow with a slicing gale.

"Ha! Shouldn't those be MY Lines?" Mitchel retorted as he rushed towards his opponent.

Mitchel then leapt mid-sprint to deal a fatal strike from above; however, Corena recovered just in time and blocked with her swords.

For awhile, their blades remained locked in a grueling struggle with neither giving way. Mitchel tried to force Corena onto the ground while she herself tried to push back the vicious Craftknight.

However, the tenacious Witch Princess managed to pull through and and knock away Mitchel's sword.

"That's it… you're mine…" Corena growled furiously.

The light energy from her previous incantation still enveloped her golden sword. Corena rose it high above her head, ready to strike with a vengeance.

"_STRIKE DOWN EVIL WITH HOLY LIGHT!!!"_

Corena unleashed a massive wave of light energy towards Mitch's direction. With this power slightly uncontained, it proceeded to tear through the barn's roof until it suddenly dissipated.

With the energy released by her untamed emotion, Corena was left thoroughly exausted, but there was no Mitchel left in sight. The once self-assured Witch Princess was left with feelings of dread.

"…wh-where…where is he?" she uttered in the same fearful tone as when she was still in her disguise.

Her weary body trembled as it tried to remain standing.

"WHERE IS HE?!" she shouted.

With no sign of another presence around, Corena fell on both knees. Her breathing labored as she tried to calm her body.

"No…. I won't loose… I CAN'T loose… the power of desires still seeps through me this very second… and with this almighty sword in hand as well… I'm invincible…" she thought in a desperate act to convince herself.

For a long time, Corena was left all alone in the darkness with her labored breathing beeing the only sound. The Witch Princess still kept a wary eye around, dissatisfied the lack of evidence supporting her foe's defeat.

Gradually, her labored breaths grew heavier and heavier by the second, until it seemed to echo. Despite her time of solitude, Corena still not rest.

"Wait a minute… did that sound like an extra set of breaths? No.. but that means…"

Corena quickly picked herself up with sword in hand and swung furiously behind her, but it was too late.

Her blackened heart was already pierced by the burning sword crafted by Mitchel's own hands.

"…Burn in the flames of Judgment…" Mitchel stated coolly.

Struggling to live on, Corena let out a few gasping breaths.

"N-No….Uh…Ugh…I… Uh…UHWAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!"

Her scream once again tore through the air as her body was quickly enveloped up by flame. In this gruesome process, the cursed Gran Centurio fell from her grasp, and shattered into countless golden pieces.

Afterwards, Mitchel swung his trusted blade in a high horizontal arc and posed dramatically.

"Judgment has been passed..." he proclaimed with a smirk.

He then plunged his blade into the floor and gasped for breath with a look of relief.

"Man, I always wanted to say that…" he said with a goofy smile.

With Corena Clarine Artwaltz finally vanquished, the darkness faded, and light finally shone on peaceful Mineral Town once again.

One by one, the villagers were revived by the Goddess Pond.

At the same time, the young ladies were quickly restored their sanity.

At the Poultry Farm, little Popuri awoke with her house sustaining considerable damage.

"Uh… what happened here? Did I leave the window open during a storm again?" Popuri thought with a moan.

She quickly shook off her shock and went to work on fixing the house.

"Mom's going to be mad, and I know for sure that Rick's going to yell at me…" she groaned.

At the local Inn, Ann returned to her usual state with a broom in her hand, with the Inn thoroughly cleaned.

"Wow. Neat. I sleep-cleaned or something!" Ann creid with pleasure.

Unfortunatley, her optimism was dashed when she noticed a hole through the door. She was left confused and speechless upon this discovery.

At the Library, poor Mary returned with books strewn about.

"Oh no… now I'll have to arrange them all over again." Mary pouted. "And just when I finally got them in proper Alphabetical Order with the Dewey Decimal System!"

Before she got to work, she noticed a small knife by her desk and inspected it curiously.

"Hmm… what's this doing here?" she asked aloud.

Inside the Home Quarters of the Supermarket, Karen's face was bright red as she glared at her glamorous makeover in a mirror.

"….Uh… wh-what the hell is this? No.. no way.. there's just no way I would be tricked into wearing this gaudy getup… not even if I was drunk several times over…"

The confused girl was left twitching as she tried to find a reason for her situation.

Finally, at the the Hospital, Elli gazed curiously at the instrument of death she was coddling only a mere minutes ago.

"Hmm… what am I doing with this thing? Isn't it a bit dangerous?" she asked herself.

The innocent nurse thought about it for a few minutes until she reached a rationale.

"Oh, I know! This looks like one of Claire's tools that she uses on the farm! I guess she entrusted it to me while she was busy with something! Although, I'm a bit confused as to why she left it with me instead of with Gray, with him being a blacksmith and all…"

Elli simply shrugged, preferring that such a thought should be left unanswered.

And so Elli hoisted up the shining scythe and cheerfully walked towards the farm, black Chinese dress and all, until she REALIZED the black she was wearing.

"…Eh… was there a special occasion I was formally aware of?" Elli asked herself.

Back at the Barn, the former statues of Mineral Town's Bachelors returned to their states of flesh and fabric.

All of them were greeted by the sight of a slightly destroyed barn and an tired Craftknight.

"What sorta catastrophe happened here?" the spectacled Rick asked aloud.

"Huh… this place has seen some damage." Gray noted coolly.

"Ugh… I feel like my time around here has been long overdue!" Kai moaned as he rubbed his bandana-covered head.

"Wait… is this Claire's barn?" Cliff asked as he looked around.

Doctor Trent blinked in surprise. "Wait… Mitchel?" he asked in a panic.

The weary Craftknight took the confused Doctor aside while leaving the others to wonder.

"Er… hello, Doctor! No time no see!" Mitchel greeted uneasily.

"But… what are you doing here? Didn't you leave some time ago on a journey to become a Craftknight?" Doctor Trent asked.

Mitchel nodded enthusiastically. "Yup. But I came back today to spread the good news of my success. Heck, I already made myself the ideal sword right here!"

Mitchel held out his Hellcat blade proudly to his old friend.

"Hmmm… interesting craftsmanship." Doctor Trent uttered aloud. "I can see it's enchanted with fire as well. I suppose this means you finally have that flaming sword you always wanted, huh?"

Mitchel nodded again. "And surprisingly, that's not the most the exciting part. Apparently, the one of the former Craftlords disappeared some time ago, so I was given the chance to earn that title, and now you're looking at the new Craftlord of Iron!" he said with a grin.

"Really… that's quite some feat. It must've been tough." Doctor Trent relied.

"Well, yeah! I had to go through strenuous training, a bunch of grueling tournaments, a few seemingly-endless dungeons, and even some vicious legendary beasts! Do you know how many times I nearly passed out when my life was in danger?" Mitchel complained.

"It sounds like you have quite a few tales to tell to the villagers." Doctor Trent grinned. "Welcome back, dear friend."

"Yeah, well… let's get me back to the Clinic so I can rest a bit. I'm pooped!" Mitchel exclaimed.

"Interesting point." Doctor Trent curiously. "By the way, do you happen to know what went on here? It's like this place went through a battle!"

Mitchel froze on the spot. He wasn't sure if the Doctor or anybody else was ready to hear how the newly appointed Craftlord of Iron defeated their magic-endowed farmer in mortal combat after having to deal with crazed versions of the ladies.

"Uh… well… that's… a good question! Anyway, how about we gather the people around Rose Square so I can have a proper welcoming party?" Mitchel quickly suggested.

Doctor Trent nodded. "Yes, that would be most appropriate right now. The townsfolk have been speaking much about you since your departure for Neo Wystern. Well, except for Ann because we're well aware of your… ahem… particular hatred for one another."

"Alright then! Everybody to Town Square then!" Mitchel exclaimed.

The other bachelors turned towards the Craftknight, acting just as lost and curious as Doctor Trent was.

"Mitchel?" They all said in unison.

"Just do as he says." Doctor Trent ordered coolly.

The guys all shrugged and decided obey the Doctor.

So then everyone started heading off towards the Rose Square in honor of Mitchel's return, but the young Craftknight held back Doctor Trent for one last comment.

"Yes, what is it?" Doctor Trent asked.

Mitchel had a wide grin on his face, and decided to pat his friend on the back.

"I have a feeling you'll be in for a treat when you see your trusted nurse again." He said with amusement before running off to catch up to the others.

Doctor Trent glared at Mitchel's back in confusion.

"….Is he talking about Elli?" Doctor Trent thought to himself.

For a moment, the Doctor pondered over Mitchel's cryptic message, but he quickly disregarded it so as not to hold back Mitchel's Welcoming Party.

* * *

_Author's Notes: Yeah… that got a little serious in the beginning. Interesting stuff._

_Ha ha! Mitchel ripped off some of Ledah's lines from Riviera: The Promised Land video game! But hey! You have to admit, Ledah was awesome... _

_  
::reads over previous chapter::_

_Crap. After portraying Karen an Elli in those clothes, I'm tempted to do fanart based on this fic now..._

_Karen looking that way actually has its odd sort of appeal._

_And as for Elli? I can imagine her sinister expressions with a scythe to be quite priceless… and attractive, too. AHHH!!!_

_As for the last Chapter? (Wait, there's more?) Uh… it's just more pointless banter to create the atmosphere for a "happy ending", since that's where this sword is obviously heading towards. Seriously, this is supposed to end on a happy note. No, the sword won't magically reassemble itself like one of those "The End?" sort of moments. Another note is… it's going to be sort of a Song fic, in a sense that characters will sing a song, but it's not really to a particular moment like a music video._

_Anyway, I do hope this story gave you fans a lot to think about… refer back to the words of Corena, and you should understand…_

_And once again, I owe Rhianwen a bit of thanks for sparking this concept._

_It's just the oddest things than inspire me, you know? Even if it's a single thought or line…_


	4. An Inane Conclusion

_Disclaimer: The song featured here was performed, and possibly written by Frank Sinatra, so I'm assuming it's his property. Thank you..._

* * *

The next day, Mineral Town apparently decided to hold a special Singing celebration for the return of their old friend and newly appointed Craftlord of Iron at the church. The Captain that took Mitchel over to Mineral Town apparently returned with a Karaoke Machine in turn, which had the townsfolk very excited over the many possibilities given to them.

Inside the church, many of the townsfolk, along with the hearty sailor, sat in anticipation while Mitchel prepared his opening number with a few of the girls.

"Uh, man… I'm still having a hard time that I was dressed like some gaudy bimbo yesterday. "Karen groaned with a red face. She then glared at Mitchel in a panic.

"Ah… Mitch, Are you SURE there isn't anything else you wanted to tell me when I was acting all… self-absorbed?" she asked reluctantly.

Mitchel momentarily thought back about the time she tried to seduce him, but immediately struck it out of his memory.

"No, nothing!" Mitchel replied with a nervous grin.

Karen nodded slowly. "Alright, if you say so. I just had the strangest feeling about it. Anyway, I think I better do something about the outfit and all that jewelry just in case I loose my mind again and get the sudden urge to dress up like a Christmas tree." She groaned.

"Oh, I don't know about the dress. You actually looked great in it." Mitchel replied with a straight face.

Karen gave Mitchel a funny look.

"You're just saying that as a friend, right? No side motivation of getting your kicks in on a hot look?" Karen asked in agitated voice.

"Of course. I'm pretty sure you've known me long enough to get that I'm not into that sort of thing. I'm just saying… If you ever wanted to please someone special, the dress'll do it. You have the right idea about the blingy stuff, though." Mitchel grinned.

Karen smiled back. "Got it."

She then casually sauntered closer to her childhood friend with an even wider grin on her face.

"You know, that girl you really seem to like has been making the occasional fuss since you left for Lyndbaum. This looks like the perfect chance to make your move, in my opinion." She whispered in Mitchel's ear.

The surprised Craftknight was left a little red in the face until a certain red-head approached him.

"You little sword-wielding creep!" Ann growled.

He and Ann exchanged resentful stares.

"I'm still not sure what happened yesterday, but I saw a hole in the Inn door for some reason, and I know you had to be responsible for it! You WERE here yesterday, after all!" She cried.

Mitchel shrugged. "I don't know why you have to resort to blaming me for everything, but I'm neither desperate nor stupid enough to pay you back that way." He replied coldly.

"Oh no… you're paying alright! And if you're not paying for damages by cash, I'll have to do a little equivalent exchange! An eye for an eye, right?" She threatened.

Mitchel shined a twisted grin on his face.

"Oh, I agree. An eye for putting my love of chickens when you happened to have a friend with a similar interest, and another eye for every damn time you try to tried to use me for your crazy pleasures." He replied.

Ann was about to jump in and rearrange Mitchel's face until something caught her ear.

"Come on. Just admit that you're still mad over being the guy chucking you into the Goddess Pond that time harassed him at the Hot Spring." Kai grinned.

"UGH! SHOVE IT!" Ann exclaimed when she nailed Kai in jaw.

She then turned towards Mitchel with a vengeful look. A showdown between these two bitter acquaintances seemed inevitable until a mutual friend stepped in.

"Ann! I thought you promised you would lay off Mitchel when he returned!" Popuri cried.

"WHAT?! It's been four whole years and you STILL hold me to something like that? I thought you would've grown up and realized by now what kind of jerk your fellow "Chicken lover" is!" Ann fumed, pointing a shaky finger at Mitchel.

"I told you! He's not a jerk! You… you were just… a little too rough on him!" Popuri tried to say in his defense.

Ann's eyes were still fixed on Mitchel like a rabid beast, but she decided to turn away for now.

"…Fine. Just… take care of yourself, okay?" Ann growled before she stepped down.

"Thanks, Ann." Popuri said gratefully.

Ann merely grumbled back when she took her seat, while Popuri went to Mitchel's side.

"I'm sorry, Mitchel. I really hoped things between you two would cool down when you went away. Both of you are my friends, after all." Popuri apologized with a weak smile.

"It's alright. You don't have to apologize for things that aren't your fault." Mitchel sighed.

The two of them exchanged smiles, but an odd feeling stirred up Popuri. She suddenly brought both arms behind her back. She started swaying her body around in a childish manner, but her faced was a little flustered.

"Say… Mitchel…" Popuri uttered with her face slightly pink.

"Yeah?" Mitchel asked curiously.

Thoughts both pleasant and unpleasant filled the anxious girl's mind. She tried very hard to force some words she had in mind after the aspiring Craftknight left, but then she laid eyes upon her sword and felt upset.

"Uh… you made such a great deal out of "Lady Lynn" yesterday! You were living with her when you were training to be a Craftknight, right? And she loaned you a material for your favorite sword?" she asked.

Mitchel nodded his head hesitantly and slowly.

"….does any of that really make her so special?" Popuri fumed. "You could've had any other mentor, right? I bet all the others could've done the same for you, yet you were stuck with her! But still… I know you like her a lot, right? I heard you said she had a really nice body, too!"

Mitchel turned red with completely mixed emotions.

"Hey! Karen and Cliff forced that out of me! B-besides… Lady Lynn was more like a Big Sister and Teacher to me than anything else! Why? Is there something else you felt like talking to me about?" Mitchel defended himself.

Then it was Popuri's turn to have a red face. Apparently, she was left speechless.

Her body had to do the talking by holding onto Mitchel tight.

"… I swear that isn't the normal reaction for anyone when I saw something wrong…" Mitchel uttered aloud.

"…wh-why do you still talk to me so casually? Everybody else around here grew up just fine, but they all still see me as a child! And… I guess they're right. I really don't feel any more grown up all this time. And I...can tell you've grown up so much since last time! Wh…why aren't you treating me the same? Why aren't you with girls more grown-up like you are?" She cried.

Mitchel responded with a serene smile and stroked her hair gently, which stirred an eerily familiar feeling to the pink-haired girl.

"I'm sure you'll find that out for yourself." He assured her.

For awhile, Popuri gazed up at the young Craftlord fondly. But eventually, Mitchel removed his hand and took out something from his pocket. It appeared to be a rectangle shape with fancy wrapping.

"By the way. I owe you this. Just… don't ask." Mitchel said with a playful grin as he handed her the gift.

Popuri immediately wafted in a chocolate scent. She was a bit confused, but wasn't about to complain and left it in her designated seat. Chocolate was one of her favorite treats anyway.

"Alright. Let's all get into positions!" Mitchel ordered.

Immediately, Mary headed towards the pipe organ while Elli, Karen, and Popuri got behind Mitchel.

"Everybody, thank you for holding this special Singing Karaoke night! I wasn't sure if everyone was willing to agree to, but I'm glad to have the support of my favorite town!" He announced.

Everyone in the church seats applauded.

"I'm also thankful for Captain Maverick Bison for providing us with the Karaoke Machine!

The surly Captain stood up and waved at the audience while they gave him a special round of applause before taking his seat again.

"Well, with that done, how about we get this started? The first song of the day is a personal favorite of mine. It's a bit of an oldie, actually, but I'm sure you'll all recognize it to be a classic."

Mitchel then cleared his throat while Karen, Ann, and Popuri prepared join in as backup.

"Okay, Mary. Go ahead and start us off!"

Mary gave a simple nod and hit the Karaoke remote. Afterwards, she played a little introduction as Mitchel and the other girls held up their microphones.

_That's life, that's what all the people say.  
You're riding high in April,  
Shot down in May  
But I know I'm gonna change that tune,  
When I'm back on top, back on top in June._

_I said that's life, and as funny as it may seem  
Some people get their kicks,  
Stompin' on a dream  
But I don't let it, let it get me down,  
'Cause this fine ol' world it keeps spinning around_

_I've been a puppet, a pauper, a pirate,  
A poet, a pawn and a king.  
I've been up and down and over and out  
And I know one thing:  
Each time I find myself, flat on my face,  
I pick myself up and get back in the race._

_That's life  
I tell ya, I can't deny it,  
I thought of quitting baby,  
But my heart just ain't gonna buy it.  
And if I didn't think it was worth one single try,  
I'd jump right on a big bird and then I'd fly_

_I've been a puppet, a pauper, a pirate,  
A poet, a pawn and a king.  
I've been up and down and over and out  
And I know one thing:  
Each time I find myself laying flat on my face,  
I just pick myself up and get back in the race_

_That's life  
That's life and I can't deny it  
Many times I thought of cutting out  
But my heart won't buy it  
But if there's nothing shakin' come this here July  
I'm gonna roll myself up in a big ball and die  
My, My…_

After Mitchel finished holding the last note, the entire townsfolk applauded.

"Frank Sinatra, huh? Interesting choice, coming from you." Karen remarked from behind.

Mitchel shrugged. "Hey, when you get around quite a bit, you're bound to develop an appreciation for some the oldies." He replied.

After the performance group gave one last bow, an excited Ann rushed the stage.

"Okay, now it's my turn!" Ann exclaimed when she reached for the lead mic.

Mitchel decided to leave the stage quickly while the other girls took their time.

"Alright! I'm ready to begin!" Ann cheered.

Mary looked up Ann's selection on the list and prepared the appropriate music for her performance.

Mitchel took his position in a corner and watched everyone joined in as Ann begun her peculiar rendition of "Men in Tights", which she managed to get most of the audience into participating. He felt somewhat disturbed by her choice of song, but was nonetheless glad to see everyone in high spirits. He then nodded to himself, recognizing the happy occasion going on around him.

"It's good to finally be back." Mitchel said to himself.

* * *

_Author's Notes: For those planning to review who haven't done so for Chapter Three, you better put in a word about that Chapter because this was more of a random wrap-up. Seriously._

_Anyway, I had fun with this bit of crazy batchelorette malforming. I feel guilty for doing it, but it was an essential part of the plot along good old Corena "Claire" Artwaltz, the scheming Witch Princess posing as their new farmer._

_Oddly enough, while I was listening to music from a certain famous Video Game Franchise of the 90's and writing in Karen's lines, I realized I didn't go in too deep with the childhood relationship between Mitchel and Karen in "The Differences Between Love and Hatred". That deserves some attention… along with more obscure video game references! That's right! Mitchel and Karen! No romance or anything like that (because he's clearly in love with Popuri, for crying out loud…), just good old fun with blazing blue fireballs, dragon punches, and childhood memories!_

…_Yeah, you're confused already, aren't you? Well, just wait for the next fic. (Sorry, "Cinder Gina" fans…)_

_Reminder: Skimping Readers PLEASE comment on Chapter 3 if you haven't done so already! Well, I'm done…_


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